1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to adapter assemblies for use in surgical systems. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to adapter assemblies for use with and to electrically and mechanically interconnect electromechanical surgical devices and surgical loading units, and to surgical systems including hand held electromechanical surgical devices and adapter assemblies for connecting surgical loading units to the hand held electromechanical surgical devices.
2. Background of Related Art
A number of surgical device manufacturers have developed product lines with proprietary drive systems for operating and/or manipulating electromechanical surgical devices. In many instances the electromechanical surgical devices include a handle assembly, which is reusable, and disposable loading units and/or single use loading units or the like that are selectively connected to the handle assembly prior to use and then disconnected from the handle assembly following use in order to be disposed of or in some instances sterilized for re-use.
In certain instances, an adapter assembly is used to interconnect an electromechanical surgical device with any one of a number of surgical loading units to establish a mechanical and/or electrical connection therebetween. Due to the complexity of the adapter assembly and the electromechanical surgical device, it is important to ensure that all electrical and mechanical connections therebetween can be easily, reliably and repeatedly accomplished.
Accordingly, a need exists for an adapter assembly that provides a robust way of electromechanically interconnecting with the surgical device.